Insight
by daydreamer626
Summary: The three Peverell brothers evaded Death, and parted ways with their gifts. But what was the full story between each brother's demise? "You are either very foolish or very wise to shed your sole protection." "Death. It's been a long time."
1. Antioch

**STORY NUMBER 10! YEAH!**

**Anyway, this story goes deeper into the fates of Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus Peverell. It will be a three-shot. I own the supposed names of witches and wizards, spells, and motives (the reason Antioch's enemy is his enemy). Anything you recognize is not owned by me.**

**Oh, and Tamworth is an actual place; it's located in present-day Staffordshire, England, and has been around since Saxon times (around the fall of Rome).**

**Enjoy!**

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Antioch Peverell stood atop the hill, looking down on his destination, Tamworth. Again, he checked his pocket to make sure his unbeatable wand was there. It had been a week since he and his brothers, Cadmus and Ignotus, evaded Death and were rewarded for it.

A man who lusts for power, Antioch requested that Death give him an unbeatable wand. Fashioned from the branch of an elder tree, Antioch had indeed seen its true power; a simple Blasting Jinx obliterated a giant boulder instead of ricocheting off its smooth surface.

It was, and would continue to be, an extension of his power. Pulling the wand out of his pocket, Antioch thought about the face of his enemy. Ancelot Orlebar's sharp angular features burned into his mind like the back of his hand, and Antioch felt the viselike sensation of Apparition as he sped to his enemy's home.

Not bothering with pleasantries, Antioch waved his indestructible wand. The door was blasted open with a loud bang, scraping against the floor until it hit the staircase with a crash. Smirking at his newfound power, Antioch stepped slowly and casually into the darkened room, as if he was just visiting.

The house had seen better days. A fine layer of dust settled on everything, giving Antioch the impression that it hasn't been cleaned in quite awhile. Waned yellow candles littered the furniture surfaces. Several portraits hung on the wall, their painted gazes following Antioch as he made his way further into the house.

"What the devil's going on down there?" Orlebar's accented voice drifted down the stairs, followed shortly by the man himself.

Tall and well built, Ancelot Orlebar was a man who inspired fear and intimidation. His shaggy blond hair fell in greasy strands down his angular, pinched face. His dark eyes seemed to peer into Antioch's soul, which reminded the latter of the purpose of his visit.

"Hello, Orlebar," Antioch stated coldly. "It's been a long time, old friend."

"Too long, I'm afraid, Antioch, ol' boy," Orlebar replied with equal iciness. "What brings you to my humble abode?"

"I think you know."

Orlebar hesitated only a moment before answering, "Why don't you enlighten me, Peverell?"

"Revenge for Libbe." Even speaking her name brought waves of pain to Antioch, who allowed his mind to take him away in the memories of Libbe: her soft dark hair, laughing blue eyes, charming sense of humor...

"Libbe? Don't tell me you're still pining over that miserable-"

BAM!

A flash of green exploded from Antioch's wand; Orlebar barely had time to dive out of harm's way and whip out his own wand.

"You'll want to watch what you say about Libbe," Antioch warned. "She was my girl, and you took away the happiness we had. You got jealous and decided if you couldn't have her, no one could. You tried to kill me, but she got in the way. And now, I'm going to finish what I started!

"Prepare yourself, old friend." The last part slid off Antioch's mouth like oil as he got ready to duel. "I'll even let you cast first. You'll not get the better of me this time."

The two wizards circled each other, each with suspicion and loathing in their eyes. It was deadly silent in the old house.

Then, as soon as it began, it was over. Orlebar lay on the floor, his eyes wide open in shock. He had cast a Disarming spell at his opponent, who had his Killing Curse announced and exploding out of his wand before Orlebar's spell could burst out of his wand.

"Looks like I got the last laugh, old friend." Chuckling mirthlessly, Antioch stalked out of his former enemy's house, leaving Ancelot Orlebar staring at the ceiling, looking eternally shocked. He made sure to replace the door back on its hinges before stepping out into the steady rain.

Antioch made his way down to the local inn. He'd done it. He'd beaten his enemy, who always outshone him and tried to kill him, at the price of Libbe's life. Unable to keep the triumphant grin off his face, he strode into the inn, head held high. Pounding three Galleons on the table, he roared, "Barkeeper, a drink!"

The barkeepers and the other patrons stared at this boisterous stranger, but nonetheless, shrugged him off and went about their normal business.

Antioch laughed merrily as he grabbed his drink and gulped it down. Orlebar's shocked face matched perfectly with his broken neck; if one hadn't killed him, the other most certainly did.

"I did it! I bested your best dueler, Ancelot Orlebar, with one spell! Yes, check it for yourself; he's dead! Broken neck and Killing Curse!"

"Rubbish," a dark clad man called from a darkened corner of the inn.

The patrons, anticipating an arrogant reaction, turned to Antioch, who studied the man closely. "Rubbish, you say? Well, I can tell you that this wand-" He brandished the elder wood wand and waved it in the air triumphantly. "-I took from the hands of Death himself! Told me whoever wields it will win every duel they face!"

The dark man nodded, looking appropriately satisfied. Antioch, who failed to realize the greedy look in the dark man's eyes, called for more beer, repeating his tale numerous times, changing the details. By the end of the night, the duel apparently blew Orlebar's house to bits and Antioch suffered a severe concussion and several broken bones before finishing off his hated enemy.

"Barkeeper, a room if you please!" a severely drunk Antioch called out, his large frame swaying slightly.

Paying several Galleons, Antioch made his way upstairs and prepared himself for the long journey he faced heading home.

Climbing into bed, Antioch considered placing protective charms on his room, but just as quickly dismissed the idea. He was the most powerful wizard with his elder wood wand. He'd wake up soon enough to protect himself against any intruders.

And with that thought, Antioch drifted off to sleep, lusting over his virtual invincibility.

Later, Antioch woke up to feel himself choking. His neck felt very cool, as if wind was blowing on it. Warm blood gushed from his throat. He reached out for his wand, the one thing that would save him, but it wasn't there.

His eyelids heavy, Antioch was accompanied to his death by the sound of heavy, mocking laughter. He saw the twisted face of Death himself under a dark cloak. His skeletal teeth grinning down on him as he twirled the elder wood wand carelessly in his skeletal fingers.

"Come, Antioch Peverell. Your arrogance has cost you. There's no escaping what's inevitable."

Antioch could do nothing more as Death wrapped his fingers around his neck and pulled, taking with him Antioch's soul for his own.

_And so Death took the first brother for his own._


	2. Cadmus

**So I would've had this out sooner (heck, it was finished when I posted Antioch), but I decided to read other Cadmus fanfictions to see if I was on track with his personality. And I'm glad I did.**

**Enjoy!**

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He forced himself to wait, wait until he arrived at his house, before pulling out the mysterious stone Death bestowed upon him.

Small and obsidian, a casual observer might find it odd that a wizard traveled with such a rock in his robes.

But Cadmus Peverell knew better.

The power to recall the dead was cupped in his hand. Memories of his lost love, Ilene, flooded back, warming him to his very soul. He carefully turned the tiny stone three times before letting it settle in his suddenly clammy palm, looking decidedly more ordinary than before.

"I've been cheated." Angrily, Cadmus balled the fist with the stone inside, shaking in rage. "I ought to-" But whatever it was Cadmus intended to do, he never said as a soft, melodious voice, accompanied by a hollow echo, filled the room.

"Cadmus." He quickly turned to the source.

A lanky woman stood before him. Blond curls framed her rosy cheeks, green eyes danced playfully, and a small smile lit up the woman's face.

"Ilene." Cadmus's anger vanished instantly, as his fiancee's presence always managed to do. "It's wonderful to see you again." He reached out to hug her, and was somewhat surprised to find he could touch Ilene. However, he noticed that she was cold, as if she'd just come in from a snowstorm.

"What am I doing here?" Ilene asked. Her voice, in contrast to her appearance before the fatal pox, was melancholy and full of misery. Her facial expression was that of one who emerged into the sunlight after being in total darkness.

"I have brought you back from the dead! I escaped the clutches of Death himself! He gave me one wish and I used it to request that I be given the power to bring back the deceased," he explained, holding out the stone. Forget his brothers and their invincible wand and cloak of invisibility. Death had granted the better man the better wish.

"Your efforts are in vain, as I am better off where I was previously: on the other side."

Startled at her words, Cadmus dropped the stone. Ilene vanished just as quickly as she appeared. Her words, however, resounded in his head as he picked up the stone and turned it three times again. She'd rather be dead than with him, her fiancée, the love of her life?

Surely, he had done something wrong when he summoned Ilene. Maybe if he tried again, she'd come back completely.

"Why am I back here, amongst the living?" Ilene offered as way of greeting. "It hurts, Cadmus. It burns me."

"It is as I told you, Ilene," Cadmus replied, fingering his stone. "I have cheated Death, and have been well rewarded for my efforts. You are not happy for me?"

"I do not truly belong here, in the world of the living. It hurts me, as if you were to try breathing underwater."

"You are wrong, Ilene. You belong with me. With a happy life away from Death."

"It is you who is wrong, Cadmus. You touched me; you see I have no true form. Neither that of a human nor of a ghost. You do more harm to me when you summon me."

Was it true? His newfound power had limits? Ilene could not come back, not entirely, not truly? It felt as though they were separated by a transparent wall. They could talk, interact, but in the end, even those luxuries were limited in comparison to talking with only air in between them.

"If I am truly the cause of your pain, then you'll have no qualms about me destroying that which assisted me," Cadmus said angrily.

"Cad-" Ilene began with that sweet, yet mysterious voice of hers, but she vanished as the stone again fell out of Cadmus's hand and onto the table.

So that was that. Ilene had been right about one thing: he should not have been so caught up in his own desires that he'd blindly trust Death.

"_The power to leave without being followed by Death, little brother? Ha! I could easily beat Death with this new wand of mine!" Antioch's haughty voice scattered Cadmus's thoughts of finally being able to see Ilene again. "Your request was ill spent, I'm afraid."_

_Ignotus, who was now a floating head wrapped in his new cloak of invisibility around himself, replied: "It is not always brute force that wins battles, older brother. One must also use his wits to overcome obstacles."_

"_And your wits were less than sharp, Ignotus," Cadmus countered, and he and Antioch laughed. "My choice was the wisest, as I can now bring back souls from Death's clutches! That takes some extremely complex magic!"_

Cadmus fetched a rope from inside a cupboard. He fingered it carefully, letting the sharp bristles poke his hands. Strangely, the miniscule pricks soothed him as more revelations flooded his head, making it spin. Ilene was really gone. Ignotus's choice had been the wisest of his brothers. There were plenty of other women out there.

_But the one I love is gone, _Cadmus thought, throwing the rope over a beam and securing it tightly. He stepped up on a chair, making sure there was enough slack to grant him a quick demise.

He wondered if it would have been better to just have attempted to cross the river. Would it have been easier, less painless to risk meeting Death instead of enchanting that bridge to appear? It might've been even painless, contrary to what dampening thoughts ran through Cadmus's head as he carefully tied the end of the rope around his neck, pulling it snug.

He had been a fool to think he had beaten Death. In reality, he thought, Death had all the cards, and he had played right into his downfall.

Cadmus took one last look around his home. It stopped being his home when Ilene succumbed to the plague. Without her lovely presence, it didn't quite feel the same to him.

Satisfied the rope fit around his neck, Cadmus carefully reached for the stone that caused all his misery and once again summoned Ilene.

"Cadmus, I can't bear it anymore. The pain-"

"Will be a mere memory shortly. I will see you soon, my love." Dropping the stone, he watched sadly as Ilene vanished.

There really is no escaping Death, Cadmus told himself, jumping off the chair and allowing his neck to take up his weight. It would be the most agonizing five minutes he'd ever experienced, but seeing Death's empty eye sockets and grinning skeletal teeth right before everything went black made everything more bearable. It meant peace. It meant reunion. It meant compensation.

_And so Death took the second brother for his own._


	3. Ignotus

_"Congratulations, weary travelers, for none have been able to evade Death and live to tell the tale."_

It was time to stop hiding.

_Just the sight of the mysterious being in front of Ignotus Peverell immediately made the latter suspicious. One does not evade Death and expect to walk away unscathed and able to tell the tale. Where his eyes should've been, there was only black emptiness, adding to his gothly appearance._

He had lived a long, fruitful life with no regrets.

_"Your efforts will be rewarded. I will grant each of you one wish of anything you desire."_

His true desire hadn't been an invisibility cloak; it had been the everlasting love of a woman. Kathrine shared his Cadmus's arrogance, but fell in love with the humble man who helped her gain new respect for those around her.

_"I want a wand. One that will always win duels for its rightful master: Antioch Peverell, evader of Death!"_

_Nodding only once, Death climbed down from the bridge and sauntered to a nearby elder tree. A wary Ignotus fingered his wand, ready should anything happen to him or his older brothers._

_"You would curse the one who spares you and your brothers? And when the opponent has his back turned?" Death asked without turning around._

_"It is no trick, foolish little Ignotus," Antioch announced haughtily._

_"I would see through his deception if there was one!" Cadmus added._

_Outnumbered, Ignotus reluctantly released his wand and continued to watch as Death cut a branch off the elder, then murmured something that straightened and polished the wood, making it resemble an actual wand._

Antioch had always been ready for a fight. His combative nature masked a haunting paranoia of being seen as weak as his youngest brother. When Ignotus had heard someone slit his brother's throat and stole his wand after the latter boasted about killing Ancelot Orlebar, he honestly hadn't been surprised. Antioch had asked for invincibility, and he got it, along with an unforeseen gift: jealousy.

_"And you, second brother?" Death practically cooed, facing Cadmus with a kind facade._

_"Make it possible for me to bring back the deceased," Cadmus demanded. "Surely, it could be made possible, now can it?"_

_Ignotus held his breath, fully expecting Death to blast his egoistic brother to bits, but the former merely bent down and picked up an obsidian stone from the river banks. It glowed in his hand and Death handed it to an eager Cadmus._

"Here, son," Ignotus said, shedding his sole protection from Death and handing it to Henry, his fourteen year old son, who looked at him questionably.

"This cloak saved my life and protected me from Death, who gave it to me."

"It's his real cloak?" Henry asked, eyeing his new present skeptically.

"It is. Death is cunning, and I'm afraid my end is fast approaching. Particularly after asking for this very cloak." The fact he would be looking for vengeance went unspoken. "Expect limitations, if any, from this gift." The warning had a hidden meaning; it was the reality that even a powerful object such as Cadmus's stone had its limits. That was what drove him to suicide by hanging.

_"And you, youngest brother?" Death turned his skeletal face to Ignotus, who stared back just as calmly. He hesitated, wondering how to outsmart the creature before him._

_"My trust in you is questionable, Death. You've given me reason to doubt you. Therefore, I ask for something that will not allow you to follow me."_

_A grimace spread on Death's face, a gesture that went unnoticed by Antioch and Cadmus. Ignotus kept his face impassive, but he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach that his suspicions were correct._

_Death, still frowning, pointed his finger and ran it across the folds of his own cloak. Magically, a section was severed off and fell over a rock, which promptly disappeared._

Ignotus stood, waiting. He'd lived much longer than he'd expected. Most witches and wizards would wind up in duels, which always guaranteed deaths. He acted kind and compassionate, yet firm and fair to all he met.

"You are either very foolish, or very wise to shed your sole protection," Death whispered , the words a small surprise to Ignotus, who turned to face the other.

"Death. It's been a long time; however, I've lived a long life. Made few enemies, settled down, married, had a son. It would be selfish of me to want more."

"I trust you said your goodbyes." Ignotus nodded, still unafraid. Death surveyed him with interest.

"Very few men I've met with while he was still alive. Even fewer were like you."

That was the last Ignotus heard as he felt the life leave his body. It felt as though he'd been carrying a heavy weight around for a long time; he finally felt free.

_And so he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and as equals departed this life._

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**Thank you** **TheLilyReviewer for your review.**

**~daydreamer626**


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